Danish New Year's Eve is the celebration associated with the tradition of throwing old plates at friends' and neighbors' doors.
In the custom, people smash or throw unwanted crockery at the entrances of people they know. A large pile of broken plates was traditionally interpreted as a sign that the household had many friends, because it showed that others had visited and taken part in the ritual. Modern versions may be more symbolic, and the practice is less universal than popular summaries suggest.
Denmark’s New Year customs also include watching the monarch’s annual speech, eating celebratory food, and jumping from a chair at midnight to symbolize leaping into the new year. Fireworks are another prominent part of the evening.
The crockery tradition is sometimes confused with other European winter customs involving noise, breakage, or household fortune. Its specifically Danish New Year association makes “Danish New Year's Eve” the clearest answer rather than the name of a separate festival.